Breaking Tradition
by sweetclementines
Summary: Everyone in Jill's family are, or will be, farmers. Jill doesn't want that. When she told her father, he shipped her off to his sister's farm in Flowerbud. How will Jill convince her father that she just wasn't meant to be a farmer? Rated T for cursing


My family isn't always very..._accepting_ of breaking tradition. Which is why I'm now being sent to my aunt Edith's farm in Flowerbud. Let me explain exactly what happened.

My family has a certain tradition. That is...well, we're all farmers. Or, at least, are going to be one day. I never really liked the idea of farming but I accepted my fate without any sort of protest. I felt there honestly was no other option for me. I liked to tutor kids but because I thought I was going to be a farmer in the future I only thought of this love of teaching as something to pass the time, not a possible career choice. Then one of the kids I was tutoring, May was her name, asked me, "Why don't you just _not _become a farmer?" Her voice was timid, almost as if she was somewhat afraid of interfering. I felt so stupid that I didn't think of that myself that I nearly whacked my head on her desk. I refrained. The last time I did that, she was so afraid that she was just about to get help when I told her that I was fine. I had to reassure her for five minutes before she finally believed me.

"So, Dad," I said, with a nervous smile, "I've been thinking."

"What about?" he asked, not even paying attention to me. We were at breakfast. Mom had made some pancakes before she left to take care of the crops. She would eat later, like always. I was quiet for a few minutes until he finally lifted his head and said, "Well? What is it?" My voice trembled when I finally spoke.

"I...I think that I don't want to be a farmer. I never really liked the idea of staying at home," I said, "I want to...go places." It was a feeble excuse, as well as a lie, but I hoped he would understand. I was wrong.

His face was calm and he didn't appear angry at all but when I looked into his eyes I saw the piercing glare I had always been so afraid of. I was ready to cry and wet my pants but I willed myself not to. The bathroom sounds awfully nice right about now. When he finally said something, his voice was unsteady and dangerously low.

"Why do you need to 'go places'?" he asked. He was trying very hard to appear calm but I knew better.

"Don't try to fool me Dad," I said, "If you're angry, be angry. But I'm dead-set on not becoming a farmer." The vein that always appeared whenever he was mad was pulsing. It frightened me a little bit. Was he going to make me clean up the horse stall as punishment again? I swear, that horse _really _does not like me. Especially when I try to clean up her crap. I nearly shuddered but I had a brief notion that Dad was only going to be more irritated if I did so. At that moment Mom came in again. She looked exhausted and, stupid girl that I am, I dragged her into our argument.

"Mom! I don't want to be a farmer! Can you help me explain that clearly to Dad?" She looked at me and sighed.

"So, what's happened now?" she asked Dad.

"Your daughter doesn't want to be a farmer," he said. She deposited herself in her chair and sighed again.

"Why not, Jill?"

"I don't have any interest in farming."

"Then you'll just have to learn to be interested in farming," Dad said, in an almost condescending voice.

"Dad! I'm not a kid anymore! I'm eighteen, legally an adult. You can't force me to do anything against my own will." I swear, that vein is trying to pop out of his head. Possibly to strangle me.

"You may be legally an adult but you're still part of this family. So, if I want you to become a farmer, whether or not _you _want to, that's exactly what you're going to be." His voice was calm now and he gave me a smile that made me feel that he thought he was talking to a kid.

"Oh, so all you have to do is disown me. Then I won't be part of this family anymore and I can do whatever I want, right?" I asked, jokingly. I'm not quite sure whether or not Dad understood that I was joking but, nevertheless, he was furious again.

"You're forbidden to leave this house until you decide that you _are _going to be a farmer after all!" Dad exclaimed. That's when Mom finally intervened.

"Hon," she said, "I think that's far too strict. We should just send her to Edith's. She'll learn to love farming eventually, she just wants to get out of Mineral Town." She turned to me, "Isn't that right, Jill?"

"Uh...sure...?" She frowned but continued.

"Then it's settled. Jill will go to Edith's farm until she learns to love farming and decides to become a farmer," she said, "Then, we'll all be happy, won't we?" Dad reluctantly nodded and glared at me before I could even protest. His glare is enough to make anyone go silent.

...So, now it's been settled. I'm going to aunt Edith's. They won't even try to understand my desire to be a teacher, and I never actually wanted to leave Mineral Town! I just said that I wanted to "go places" as an excuse. I hoped Dad would understand and, naturally, I was wrong.

So, goodbye Mineral Town and hello Flowerbud.

**AN: So, this is not my first Harvest Moon story, just letting you know. This actually just popped into my head when I was writing. Uh...that's really just it. There's not much else to say. So...bye! o_o  
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